Rotavirus – an experience of a mum

I’ve also added another category, The Best Thing in the World…just for my best things in the world, my kids!

Since the latest happening in our family is the rotavirus attack on my first kid, Harith, I would very much like to share the experience with other parents out there.

It begins on 8 January 2014, a day after I bought flight ticket for family trip to Bandung which will be on 14 Jan 2014 (my confinement days is just about to over, we thought it will be good to bring Harith for vacation since he too have not been having trips since I’m in confinement).

Harith played hard and having fun as usual until 10 pm when he’s start vomiting almost non – stop. at 12pm, we brought him to a clinic A nearby. still has not stop from vomiting.

After making sure its not food poisoning, doc gave coughing and colic syrup.

But until noon 9 Jan the vomiting has not stop despite 2 dose of colic syrup. He seems weak of the vomiting.

We changed about 7 pairs of shirt for him alone that night. Same goes to me n my husband as he threw up on us a few times. It was so worrisome to see a child become so weak of vomiting.

He continued to threw up everything he ate, so we went to see another doc at clinic B. again, the doc gave colic syrup, but plus ORS to keep him hydrated.

Sadly, Harith has lost his appetite and refused to eat anything including his favorite food and the medicines. The only thing he did not refuse was the drinking water.

It was in the evening he stop vomiting, but his body getting hot of fever and he started to encounter diarrhea. We stayed up all night to monitor his temperature, which goes up to 39.0 Celsius and wipe his body to ensure the temperature goes down.

The next day, 11 Jan 2014, he’s still weak of fever, refusal to eat although we have persuaded him in every way we could and few times of diarrhea. By evening, the diarrhea goes more often.

On 12 Jan 2014, early in the morning, we went to the clinic A to seek the doc’s advise and asked the doc for referral letter. In case Harith’s condition goes worse, we would like to get hospital’s treatment for him although we fully understood it will involve getting him being injected with drips. At least we are confident that we will lessen his dehydration.

The doc advised us to keep on forcing Harith to eat food and medicine. We have no idea on how to force him anymore, but decided to try giving him the medicine first. The doc gave colic and paracetamol syrup.

When we got home, we tried our best to persuade Harith to take the medicine, but as usual, he refused. It made us have to force him to drink it by putting the syringe into his mouth. It is so sad having to force own child like that. I felt like its a kind of abusing.haha…but its the best we can do to ensure he got the medicine, though not up to the prescribed dosage.

About 2pm, we decided to refer to Pusrawi due to his condition was not getting any better.

After being checked by the doc, the doc confirmed that he should get dripped under Paed’s supervision for he’s been dehydrated.

Unfortunately, when the nurse checked with the Paed clinic, all Paed were unavailable as there are many dengue cases. Therefore, the doc was kind enough to refer us to Al-Islam Specialist Kampong Bharu and recommended for Harith to be warded.

It took us about 2 hours to get our turn there. When the doc checked Harith, her response was that Harith have to be forced to get the medicine and does not support Harith to get dripped since she said the dehydration can be solved with ORS and eating. Oh my….I don’t know how to force him anymore when he will not open his mouth a bit for any food/medicine.

It took us about another hour for the medicine. Before taking the medicine, a nurse gave me a form, that to take our own risk for not getting Harith into ward. However, the nurse was very kind to offer us an advise, that is to get Harith warded due to another same case they encounter not long ago whereby the boy collapsed of dehydration as his parents chose not to get him warded. She said it was also because she saw how cranky Harith was when we asked him to eat and forcing to eat will not be a good solution under his current condition. Harith has become so cranky that day, that he screams and cried all the time. It is so unusual of him, a happy child.

After discussing with my husband and MIL, we agreed that Harith should get the hospital’s treatment. So the nurse carried on with the ward booking procedure.

Meanwhile, the Paed called for Harith in the emergency room to insert the drip equipment onto Harith’s hand. The nurse have to get him swaddled first to avoid him taking out the thing. It breaks mum’s heart to see his child cried in pain. But yeah..its just a step to get him healthy again. He fell asleep soon after that, may be too tired of crying.

It took us another hour to get the ward ready. I chose for Harith to be in single room for better privacy ( I believe other patients and their caretaker will not be happy to listen to Harith’s screams).

After discussion with my MIL, my MIL volunteered to take care of Harith at the ward with my husband’s company as I could not be in the hospital with Hadif, my newborn baby.

Therefore, my husband took me, Hadif and my sister home after checking in into the ward. I packed Harith’s clothes and necessary stuff for my husband to bring to the hospital when I reached home.

Later that night, I was so shocked when Hadif’s body temperature goes up to 39.4 Celcius. It might be because he was in the air-cond all day long waiting for Harith’s hospital admission procedure to finish. I was so worried that Hadif will suffer the same like Harith. He’s just a one month old, fyi! I could not imagine if he has to go through the pain like his brother. I quickly wipe his body with water and air asam to reduce the temperature. Yes, it reduced, but still around 39 Celcius degree. At 6 am, I decided to take him to Pusrawi. With my sister’s help, we went to Pusrawi to have him checked up. The doc put half dose of Poro tab into his anal and asked me to wind him off. Means no clothes allowed for the day, only pampers on him.

When I get home, I did so and Alhamdulillah, the temperature goes down. I gave him 2 times of paracetamol for Hadif on that day.

Back to Harith, the first 3 days at hospital was very hard for him. The diarrhea has not stop, the appetite has not kicked in and the drip make him immobilised (the hospital used machine to regulate the drip, which need to be plugged). He became so cranky. On the third night, since he was screaming for me, my husband requested from the hospital to take him home. It was with the condition that he have to come back to the ward before 8 am the next day.

It was the night Harith came back home when my parents arrived from Alor Setar. it was actually for the family trip to Bandung, but it seems like me and my husband could not join the trip.

I took Harith back to the ward the next day accompanied by my sister and my MIL. My mum took care of Hadif at home. We predicted the doc will allow Harith to be discharged today since his diarrhea has slowed down.

However, when the Paed came for visit, she informed that Harith is diagnosed to suffer from Rotavirus, which may take long to recover. Ok…there goes our vacation..at the hospital.huehue.

In the afternoon, I changed shift with my mum and sis to take care of Harith. In the evening, I noticed that Hadif’s body temperature goes up again, so when my husband went back home to take his belongings for the night shift, I followed him to the hospital to have Hadif checked. I was so afraid if Hadif also got the Rotavirus.

At the hospital, I insisted for the lab test on Hadif’s poo to find out if he has the Rotavirus. Alhamdulillah, it was negative.

That night, there was Malam Cinta Rasul event held just in front of the hospital. Harith was so excited for he’s a big fan of Qasidah. My husband took him out to watch the qasidah live.

He was so happy that night that everybody was around him. His grandparents, his Atuk, Uncle Long, Cik Bibi and most importantly, Ibu, Ayah & his adik Hadif was also with him.

We went back late that night, leaving my husband and FIL to take care of Harith. Harith seems to have hard time parting with his Uncle Long, but Alhamdulillah we successfully took his attention away.

The next day, 14 Jan, morning, was my family’s flight to Bandung. And so, I was alone at home with Hadif. I really hope Hadif will be in good health.

While at hospital, the doc prescribed pain killer for Harith’s tonsil problem. I hope after taking the presciption Harith can eat again.

Harith was having good time with his Mummy, my husband’s cousin and his Abg Alief. Alhamdulillah he can already laugh and smile while playing with them.

In the evening, my SIL and Harith’s cousins went to visit him, but he’s already drowsy with the painkiller and antibiotic.

When he woke up, Alhamdulilah he got a little appetite back. He ate the choc crisp bought by his Cik Bibi( I passed it to him through SIL).

On 15 Jan, early in the evening my SIL text me about Locto GG as the treatment for Rotavirus. It will need plain yoghurt or tablet containing lacto acidophilus for the treatment. When I checked the Karihome Yoghurt Sweets I bought for Harith last week, I founf that there’s lacto acidophilus in the content.

In the afternoon, my husband took Harith back home for a while as Harith was bored at the hospital and requested for ‘So Good’ (KFC). I quickly gave him the sweets. Alhamdulillah he loves it.

On 16 Jan, finally, my husband informed that the Paed allows Harith to be discharged. Alhamdulillah…it was the happiest moment for me along these 2 weeks.

When Harith got back home, he’s so thin and his hand was swollen of the drip…so ballooned. Hehe…I hope it wont be long looking like that. When I showed my mum ( who’s in Bandung now) the photo, she asked me to put ice or cold substance to reduce the swollen.